Giuliani’s Yankees Broadcast Appearances Raise Eyebrows

Could Giuliani’s Yankees Broadcast Appearances Raise Equal-Time Issue?

Republican Presidential candidate and former N.Y. Mayor Rudy Giuliani on Sunday appeared on Yankees TV and radio broadcasts “to hype his candidacy” after participating in the first pitch ceremony, according to Bob Raissman of the N.Y. DAILY NEWS. Yankees Owner George Steinbrenner “was said to have taken a very passive role” in Giuliani’s visit. Yankees President Randy Levine “is pals with Giuliani,” under whom he served as a Deputy Mayor. During Giuliani’s TV visit, YES Network’s Michael Kay “gets credit for attempting to steer clear of politics and keep Giuliani talking baseball. ... No such luck during Giuliani’s radio appearance.” Announcer John Sterling “claimed not to be ‘a political’ person, but insisted because America is ‘broadening and changing’ Giuliani will be accepted by people who hold a variety of political and moral beliefs.” Announcer Suzyn Waldman told Giuliani, “You will be going to a lot of cities (to campaign). So when we (the Yankees) are in the same town, you should come up and do an inning or two.” Raissman wonders, “What’s going to happen if Hillary Clinton or John McCain wants to pop into the Yankees’ radio booth? ... When do Giuliani’s ‘baseball’ sessions turn into an equal-time issue?” (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 3/20).